Wildcats still have faith in Stokes

Sunday

Jan 30, 2011 at 12:01 AM

PHILADELPHIA - Eventually, when it really matters, Corey Stokes will be there.

He's been elsewhere throughout much of the past three weeks. He was largely elsewhere, literally and through little fault of his own, down the stretch of Saturday's tough Big East Conference loss to Georgetown.

But his Villanova men's basketball buddies insist that when the season boils down to brass tacks, the lately struggling Stokes will be there.

"He's not making shots (right now)," Wildcats guard Corey Fisher said after the 69-66 setback to the Hoyas. "I'm not making shots sometimes, either. He'll be there."

We'll have to take the Wildcats' word for it.

Because since a terrific, 22-point night at South Florida Jan. 6, Stokes has been someplace else, and it's cost Villanova. The No. 8 - and falling - Wildcats (17-4, 5-3 Big East) have now dropped three of four; Stokes was a non-factor in the first two defeats, and only a marginal one against the No. 21 Hoyas (16-5, 5-4).

It's unfair to hang Stokes for Saturday's result. He did score 11 of his 13 points in the second half, when he hit two critical 3-pointers despite an unidentified injury that Wright guessed might be turf toe.

Stokes' hobble led Wright to sit him for conspicuously long spans down the stretch, when Wright played offense-defense with the senior sniper in order to preserve his health.

"He was hurt," Wright said. "I would've had him in there. Trust me."

Wright still trusted Stokes enough to insert him, for the final time, with 14.1 seconds to play. As Georgetown star Austin Freeman buried two free throws to finalize his 30-point outburst and push the Hoyas' lead back to three, Stokes strolled onto the floor, ostensibly to provide the long ball the Wildcats no doubt wanted.

But he never got his shot. His foot made him a step slow, his reputation made Georgetown mark him, and Villanova had to settle for a failed 3 from senior forward Antonio Pena.

Yuck.

Still, even handing Stokes a pass for Saturday's second half, his overall grade has slipped considerably since he flew home from South Florida.

Prior to gong 4-for-5, and 3-for-4 from distance, in Saturday's final 20 minutes (perhaps a breakout?), Stokes had been steadily abusing some of the conference's finest rims. In 6 1/2 games, he'd shot 25.4 percent (17-for-67) overall and 26.2 percent (11-for-42) from beyond the arc.

In his last seven games, he's scored at a modest 11.1 per-game rate, more than six ticks below the then-team-leading 17.3 points he was averaging three weeks back. He's sunk to 15.2 for the season, now second on the team behind Fisher.

Had Stokes freed himself for a good look at game's end against Georgetown, this column might have spun into a heroic he's-back bit.

But he didn't, and it didn't, and we're left to wonder when the real Corey Stokes will reemerge.

Because Villanova's free-wheeling offense is predicated as much upon Stokes' shooting as Fisher's and Maalik Wayns' penetration.

"We need him to make big shots," Wright said.

Because the Wildcats need to produce points aplenty to win - they are 15-0 when scoring 70 or more, 2-4 when scoring fewer - and Stokes is a huge part of the huge-point formula.

Because before Saturday's second half, Stokes' slump had been an extended one.

And because he's now got this as-yet-unknown injury.

Nevertheless, Wright and Co. remain faithful, remain sure they can correct both Stokes' and the overall offense's issues. The Wildcats have been settling for bad shots for a few games now, and the Stokes situation is linked to that.